Eco Fashion: The Fashion of the Future

Posted on Aug 6, 2015

The threat to human survival in the face of natural resource degradation, the extinction of species of fauna and flora and the heating temperature due to greenhouse gas emissions have made environmental issues occupy a prominent place in recent times. Assuming that natural reserves are finite and those solutions can occur through more appropriate environmental technologies conditions that meet the basic needs using the principle of recycling and consumerism (conscious consumption), it is assumed that only education changes people’s behavior and that it should be a priority not only for the government but also for each citizen from home.

The market linked to fashion is characterized by increasingly rapid and frequent changes. The life cycles of its products decrease; there is intense competition resulting from globalization resulting in the search for continuous improvement and ways of the fashion product innovation. The fashion system eventually follows quickly to market changes then emerging new business: a sustainable fashion. If the haute couture of the early twentieth century luxury is manifested by the use of expensive and exclusive materials, the new luxury today is consuming fashion conscious way made with recycled products or thought from a proposed eco design.

This article aims to reflect on possible areas for the consolidation of sustainable fashion: designers and eco fashion segment companies differ in the fashion market by planning and offer differentiated products based on sustainability standards, attractive to consumer’s eyes, environmentally friendly products, increasingly informed and demanding.

The concern for the environment has gained prominence and has spread to other areas. One example is the fashion world. Fashion, technology and sustainability come together in creating new accessories and clothing in order to reduce impacts to the environment and provide a better future for the planet. Seeds, natural dyes from vegetables, organic cotton, eco-leather and fish leather, biodegradable plastic and recycled materials like polyester, now make up clothes, shoes, bags and even jewelry. More and more designers have innovated and surprised the audience.

Renowned brands such as Gucci, H & M, Nike, Stella McCartney, among others, have joined this new wave. Moreover, the idea has spread among celebrities, who have paraded the red carpet looks with eco-friendly and exclusive, with the signature of renowned designers such as Valentino and Tom Ford, proving that luxury can also be sustainable.

This new practice has become more popular, worldwide. Many events are being created and promoted to support this idea. Many countries are creating the Eco fashion week or including eco fashion into their normal fashion weeks as part of the program. They also have event like The Green Show, which is a leading event, education and consulting company dedicated to promoting and growing the luxury sustainable fashion movement.

In Brazil, it has also become popular. In the last São Paulo Fashion Week, held in June, sustainability attended the parades of brands Osklen, Animale, and Ronaldo Fraga. Each year you can see a greater concern with the use of natural resources, in a country so rich in this regard. They also have some events to support the eco fashion, for example, the Eco Fashion Award Brazil, which is the first contest that encourages and values ​​the Brazilian creation within the global trend of eco-design in fashion style area. Brazil also offers a project called Paraty Eco Festival, which is a preservation project of the intangible cultural heritage (folk / crafts) that encourages and values ​​innovative and creative proposals for the sustainability of traditional communities, strengthening and highlighting the local culture and the cultures of the various Brazilian regions.

The fashion trends are the common denominator in the world of fashion business. The central partnership of the fashion system is becoming more difficult. Given this concern, various fashion designers had become the manufacture of green products following the concept that sustainable companies are observing a new type of consumer, the conscious consumer, who is willing to pay more for products that carry with them values of sustainable development.

Another possible perspective to the economic viability of sustainable fashion is the use of waste as raw material for products based on sustainable development. Plastic bottles can turn into blouses. Movie films are transformed into bags. Traditional plant from the Amazon becomes woven 100% environmentally friendly. A dress made from leftover plastic, a pet top, and a skirt flaps. In common parts that were made with recycled material; things, in principle, would be considered waste.

Since Fashion is always accused, as great worshiper agent of consumerism, it provides space to launch new concepts: the garbage became fashionable, which demonstrates the concrete proof that it is time to see the waste. The new experiments in Fashion design has increasingly innovative products then forming a promising new fashion market that possibly will move the green economy.

In this context, it is clear that green fashion based on Eco design concepts is new luxury of the XXI century, opposing the extensive consumerism typical of the Age of consumption. In this new reality, the chance of consolidating the principles of sustainable development gives evidence of completion of a new consumer profile more reflective and less sensitive to marketing appeals. It is also noticeable that the fashion phenomenon has a strong influence on people being able to offer new products developed with ecological appeal, creating new consumption behaviors and reflecting the spirit of society that begins to glimpse the sustainable development and responsible consumption as a new reality.